South Indian Temples: Best Religious Places to Visit for Tourists

Temples in south Indian that are worth visiting and which are among the spiritual destinations of India.South India temple tour its wondrous attractions

The temples in South India are among its major attractions which never fail to capture the hearts of tourists. Take a South India temple tour and explore its wondrous attractions. South Indian states are generally viewed as culturally and spiritually strong and is home to a large number of spiritual and religious places. One of the main attractions of the south Indian states is the presence of some ancient Temples well known for its festivals and its architectural form. These Temples are from different era with unique architectural styles and different mode of celebrations. Here I would like to list the top temples in south Indian that are worth visiting and which are among the top spiritual destinations of India.

Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram

Ramanathaswamy Temple is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimage center in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. Rameshwaram is an island located off the Sethu coast of Tamil Nadu and can be reached via the famous Pamban bridge. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it is believed that Lord Rama have prayed to Lord Shiva at this place to forgive any sins that he might have committed during his war against Ravana. This temple is visited by a large number of devotees every day and is well known for its architectural beauty. Its architecture is much similar to the traditional South Indian temples. The pillars and carvings of these temple are really a treat to watch.

Sabarimala Temple, Kerala

Sabarimala Temple is another major Hindu pilgrimage center in South India and is situated in the state of Kerala. This Temple is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa and is famous for its annual pilgrimage during the month of November to December every year which attract around 40 – 50 million devotees. The temple is situated on the hill top which is at an altitude of 468 m above mean sea level and is surrounded by large chain of mountains and dense forests. Lot of devotees reach here by vehicles from different states of India such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa etc. There are also devotees who prefer to visit this shrine by walk. Devotees visting this pilgrimage center are expected to follow a 40 day penance to make their mind and body clean and strong.

Lingaraja Temple, Orissa

Lingaraj Temple is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Harihara and is situated in the Temple City of Bhubaneswar in Orissa. This temple is one of the oldest and biggest temples present in Bhubaneswar. This temple is considered to be around 1000 years old and is believed to be built by the Somavanshi king Jajati Keshari in the 11th century. The Lingaraja temple is one of the most exotic monuments in Bhubaneswar and has an height of around 180 feet and shows all the characteristics of the Kalinga architecture and sculpture.

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai is one of the most beautiful temple in South India and is situated in the State of Tamil Nadu. Meenakshi Temple is also known as Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati and the present structure of the temple is believed to be built in 1600. The Meenakshi temple is the main attraction of Madurai and this temple is known for its marvelous architectural excellence. The main festival of this Temple is Meenakshi Thirukalyanam and this festival comes in the month of April.

Tirupati Balaji Temple, Andhra Pradesh

Tirupati Balaji Temple is a famous Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. This temple is officially known as Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills. This temple is considered to be one of the richest and most visited Temple in the World as around 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims visit this Temple daily. The temple is famous for its annual festival “Brahmotsavam” and is celebrated for nine days in the months of September and October.

Mahabalipuram

It is a historic city steeped in mythological significance. Its monolithic structures have their own unique charm. Dating back to 7th century this city is a home to amazing temples and monuments. Its Shore temple dating back to the 8th century is one of the oldest temples in South India. This city is a World Heritage Site with famous attractions like Cave Temples, Monolithic Rathas, Arjuna’s Penance, Krishna Mandapa and sculpted relief and structural temple.

Tanjore

This town is famous as a center for art, music and handicrafts. It is also a home to more than 70 temples. The Brihadeshwara temple of Tanjore is a World Heritage Site and attracts devotees from across the world. Its architectural beauty is beyond words so one must visit it to know how beautiful it is. It was built in the 10th century.

Periyar

It is a famous wildlife destination of South India. It is also known for tea, coffee and spice plantations. The Periyar Lake passing through the sanctuary offers boating facility. Stroll through its tea gardens and get refreshed to the hilt.

Kumarakom

It is famous for its bird sanctuary which is a home to a wide variety of wildlife. It is one of the finest bird sanctuaries of India. Kumarakom backwaters are another attraction which brings tourists here in large numbers.

Alleppy

It is a fascinating destination of South India that is famous for its backwater and houseboats. Cloaked in sheer natural beauty, this destination is popularly known as the Venice of the East.

Cochin

Also known as Kochi, Cochin is affectionately dubbed as the Queen of Arabian Sea. It is the second largest city of Kerala holding a great deal of commercial importance. It boasts of several Hindu temples such as Vadakkunnathan temple, Guruvayur Shri Krishna temple and Sabarimala temple

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3 Comments

mark miller June 21, 2011

Lord Jagannath Lord Jagannath, the symbol of universal really like and it is worshiped within the Temple together with Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan, Madhaba, Sridevi and Bhudevi about the Ratnabedi or even the bejewelled platform. The Deities, Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Chakra Sudarshan are constructed with margosa wood.

The Great blog as far as South Indian Hindu Tourism. I was searching for similar one. Thanks to you. The blog I name as one blog with collection of complete south indian hindu tourism attractions. Keep it up. I just book marked the site.

South India temples are lavishly built and aesthetically designed, there are several towns that are referred to as the temple towns southern India is spotted with places of religious interest. Southern temples are developed in Dravidian style.